If you’re a business person who’s pursuing government contracts, you know there’s lots to learn.

For over 30 years, the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) has been recognized as the source for expert advice and training on all aspects of government contracting. Now, GTPAC is making it even easier for you to learn about important topics within the government contracting arena.

Starting in July, GTPAC is launching a series of one-hour webinars about various aspects of government contracting. As with all GTPAC training offerings, the webinars are free — and they’re convenient, too, because they’re conducted during the lunch hour.

Below is a list of what’s coming up. Simply click on any webinar title to see a description and to register:

Join Georgia Tech faculty members Martin Savelsbergh and Natashia Boland to learn how Savannah’s multimodal supply chain can enable optimal use of resources while being more efficient and cost effective.

Here are descriptions of other upcoming “Leaders & Learners” sessions:

Making the Most of Coaching and Mentoring – September 15, 2016

Effective coaching and mentoring doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all strategy. Each person has different skills, experiences, motivations, and professional and organizational circumstances, so perceptiveness and adaptability are paramount. In this session, you will learn about these guidelines as well as common considerations and roadblocks. Kevin Jackson, founder and president of EnviroVac Holdings, LLC, will share coaching stories and tips. David Paddison, president of Seacrest Partners, Inc., will discuss the power of mentoring. Those who are middle and upper management professionals who work for mid- to large-size companies, as well as those who are about to transition to management roles, will benefit from this session.

Innovation in Savannah – October 13, 2016

As an entrepreneur or business owner, you know the key to success is innovation. But moving from beyond the buzzword to actually implementing creative and successful ideas involves more than creative minds and good luck. This session will teach you about this iterative process and the history, and you’ll hear three local entrepreneurs talk about their visions, struggles and recommendations. Presenters will include Howard Morrison, advisor to entrepreneurs and catalyst for community development; Blake Ellis, CEO and founding partner of CommerceV3; and Yvonne Jouffrault, founder and chief product nerd at Tour Buddy Apps and entrepreneur-in-residence for the Advanced Technology Development Center, a technology incubator at Georgia Tech. Entrepreneurs, creative thinkers, middle and upper-management professionals who work for mid- to large-size companies, as well as those who are about to transition to management roles, will benefit from attending.

Internet of Things – What It Is, Why You Should Care, and How It can Boost Your Business – November 10, 2016

The Internet of Things (IoT) — such as connected devices, vehicles, buildings, appliances, and wearables — is a network of physical objects that is discussed constantly in the technical community. However, most business leaders know little about it. During this session, presenters Russ Clark, co-director of the Georgia Tech Research Network Operations Center, and Bill Eason, research scientist at Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology, will demystify IoT for you. They’ll describe the incredibly rich, real-time customer and business operations data you can gather, as well as highlight fundamentals of IoT that organizations must think through. Professionals from small to mid-size businesses interested in how mobility and the Internet of Things can transform their business operations will benefit from this session.

Government state, local and education (SLED) contracting opportunities grew slightly in the third quarter of 2015, the first positive quarter in five, a promising sign for next year, according to a new Onvia report.

The Seattle-based government business intelligence company’s procurement snapshot shows SLED bid and request for proposal (RFP) activity increased .3 percent after a “noticeable decline” at the end of 2014.

Bids have been limited by the rise of cooperative purchasing and the sharing of contracts across agencies—and don’t expect the use of that cost-saving measure to decrease.

Diversifying among more levels of the government contracting market is a start.

Vendors with a data-driven strategy for allocating sales resources among all five levels of the fragmented state, local and education (SLED) government contracting market are most successful, according to a new Onvia report.

Procurement data shows city and state agencies comprise the largest project bid volume, but the agencies most actively issuing awards are a small percentage of the market.

President Barack Obama gave shout-outs to George P. Burdell, the Ramblin’ Wreck, and even thermodynamics homework when he came to Georgia Tech on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 to announce his Student Aid Bill of Rights.

The President of the United States visited Georgia Tech on March 10th to encourage the pursuit of higher education and discuss how he hopes to make it more affordable and accessible.

“It’s great to be at one of the finest technical institutes in the world,” Obama said. “You’ve got to be if the Ramblin’ Wreck is still running after all these years.”

Nearly 10,000 students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered in McCamish Pavilion to hear from the president, who spent about 30 minutes encouraging students in the pursuit of higher education and talking about ways he hopes to make it more affordable and accessible.

He outlined steps his administration has already taken, such as tax credit expansion, additional Pell Grant funds, and an income-based repayment program.

The President stated he believes higher education is the best investment one can make in themselves and in their country — particularly at Georgia Tech.

He also asked for support from the crowd for a new declaration of values he called the Student Aid Bill of Rights. The set of four principles complements a memorandum calling for the Department of Education and other federal agencies to do more to help borrowers afford their loan payments.

“It was really relevant because I’m applying to medical school for next year and didn’t have to take out loans for my undergrad, but I’m going to have to take them out for grad school,” said Deeti Pithadia, a biochemistry major who attended the speech.

‘One of the best bargains around’

President Obama encouraged students to keep up their long nights studying complex material, saying it would be worth it, as he believes higher education is the best investment they can make in themselves and in their country — particularly at Georgia Tech.

“It’s been established time and time again that Georgia Tech is one of the best bargains around — which is one of the reasons I’m here,” he said.

He commended Tech for its collaboration with the White House on promoting advanced manufacturing, unlocking the mysteries of the brain, and helping more students become entrepreneurs. He cited Georgia Tech’s Online Master in Computer Science program as an innovative way to increase value and use technology to expand access to higher education.

Obama also took the time to acknowledge other politicians and leaders in the audience, including Georgia Tech’s own President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, whose shout-out was met with raucous applause.

“You’ve got a high approval rating,” Obama said.

‘Such an honor’

President Obama encouraged students to not only persevere in their studies, but also to “mobilize” to help make college more affordable for themselves and others.

“Young people typically lead the path with new ideas, initiatives, focus, and vision,” he said. “Don’t stop engaging this issue, even after you graduate. In the meantime, study hard, work hard, have fun, make new discoveries, inspire us, lead us.”

Obama made a slow exit from McCamish, taking time to shake hands with many students as he passed.

Vett Vandiver, a graduate student in public policy, had the chance to shake Obama’s hand and tell him he was her hero.

“As a grad student planning to start my career in public service, I’ve dreamed of meeting President Obama since he first started his campaign,” she said. “It was such an honor to witness his remarks and meet him. I’m eternally grateful that Georgia Tech made this experience possible.”

Tiffany Davis, an aerospace engineering major, had the privilege of introducing the president (in place of George P. Burdell, he mentioned). Davis had written a letter to President Obama about college affordability one night last year while taking a study break. To her surprise, she received a letter back. He commiserated that it had once been a struggle for him to afford college as well.

“She didn’t mention that her letter was also to procrastinate from doing thermodynamics homework,” Obama said.

Jen Abrams, a public policy major, led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance, and Maggie Bridges, a business administration major who also is the current Miss Georgia, sang the national anthem prior to the president’s arrival. While students waited, the Yellow Jacket Marching Band entertained. The landing of Air Force One was aired live from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and students cheered as they caught a glimpse of President Obama before the final leg of his trip to meet them.

Excitement building up to the president’s visit began last Friday when lines of students snaked through campus waiting to procure a ticket for the event. Students waited up to three hours then, with some waiting another six hours Tuesday morning to be the first in line to see the president. They passed the time playing cards and games, reading, and studying.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Sonika Fitch, a computer engineering major. “I don’t know why anyone would be anywhere else today.”

The Department of Education, Contracts and Acquisitions Management, Programs Contracts Group (PCG) held a Small Business Outreach event in Washington, DC on January 14, 2014. The purpose of this event was to review portions of the department’s FY 2014 forecast and provide roundtable sessions in which small businesses could have the opportunity to discuss education programs and contracting opportunities with Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs), Contracting Officers, Contract Specialists, and Program Managers.

The outreach event was focused on small businesses who specialize in program evaluation, technical assistance,educational support services, data collection and analysis, and logistical support services.

“Mission Focused Contracting” is perhaps the most comprehensive of any of the courses offered by The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

It is a two-week course that covers the entire federal acquisition process — from defining procurement requirements all the way through contract close-out. Because of the insights provided, this course has proven to be very popular among both government contractors and government contracting officials.

You learn in an environment with your counterparts from both government agencies and the contractor community.

You learn and apply leadership, problem-solving, and negotiation skills in a highly-interactive environment.

You engage in the entire acquisition process, from meeting with the customer to completing the contract closeout process — and everything in-between — based on completely refreshed course materials exclusively developed by Georgia Tech.

You apply your existing knowledge and skills on an actual integrated project team.

You come away with a comprehensive Student Guide that will serve as a resource to you for years to come.

You are eligible for both Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from Georgia Tech and Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) from DAU and FAI.

You will be treated to breakfast every morning and to continuous breaks all day, each day.

Students from the federal sector will be interested to know that in a March 25, 2011 DoD memorandum, the Procurement and Acquisition Policy Director notified the acquisition workforce of changes to the Contracting Curriculum and DAWIA certification standards, effective October 1, 2011. The memo outlines changes to existing course assets and development of new learning assets. Additionally, the transition plan provides information for the workforce and federal Directors of Career Management to facilitate a smooth transition to the new certification standards. The memo is located in its entirety in the Workforce Policy section of our website here.

The Obama administration still holds out hope of avoiding the across-the-board budget cuts required under the 2011 Budget Control Act, but it is nonetheless instructing federal agencies to begin preparing their fiscal 2014 budget requests assuming a 5 percent cut in discretionary spending.

Acting Budget Director Jeffrey Zients in a memo to agency heads on Friday said the coming spending plan will build on the Budget Control Act and the fiscal 2013 document’s framework, and hence “must continue to cut lower-priority spending in order to create room for the most effective investments in areas critical to economic growth and job creation, including education, innovation, infrastructure, and research and development.”